Chip Industry Outlines Post-CMOS Research Focus

SAN FRANCISCO—The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) trade group Thursday (March 30) set out a comprehensive list of research priorities for maintaining semiconductor technology innovation in years to come, as the era of conventional CMOS scaling draws to a close and engineers turn to new materials, manufacturing techniques, architectures and structures.

The SIA released a 73-page report, developed in conjunction with Semiconductor Research Corp. (SRC), which outlines 14 areas identified as key areas for research. This list includes items such as cognitive computing, interconnect technology, next-generation manufacturing and power management, among others. The report calls for “robust government and industry investments in new technologies beyond conventional, silicon-based semiconductors.”

Semiconductor Research Opportunities: An Industry Vision and Guide was written over a nine-month period by more than 70 contributors, including eningeers from prominent companies in the semiconductor, aerospace and defense industries. Participating companies included Intel, Texas Instruments, Qualcomm IBM, Micron, TSMC, Analog Devices, Applied Materials and others.

David Isaacs
SIA

The report states that the conventional silicon-based semiconductor technology that forms the basis of Moore’s Law and has carried the industry for decades, is maturing, necessitating a new roadmap of technology beyond silicon.

“Advances are required in areas of von Neumann computing such as low-power, low-voltage, beyond-CMOS logic and memory devices and associated materials,” the report states. “In non-von Neumann computing, new memory elements and materials have the potential to enable innovation in the semiconductor industry going forward.”

David Isaacs, the SIA’s vice president of government affairs, told EE Times that the document was intended to be used in discussions with policy makers, industry representatives and other audiences to help advocate for funding and provide recommendations for research funding priorities. “What we are trying to do is outline the key research themes that we think are needed to continue the next generation of innovation in semiconductor technology,” Isaacs said.